Digital Logos Edition
Thorough as a student of Greek, R. C. H. Lenski interprets St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans with meticulous exegetical research while providing an original, literal translation of the text. With his conservative Lutheran perspective, he is unwavering in his high view of Scriptural authority, probing deeply and passionately—arguing his conclusions masterfully. Beyond exegesis, he provides linguistic and textual analysis, historical background such as information on the author, date, time of writings, authorial intent, chief themes, and much more. Often addressing difficult text, evading nothing, Lenski evaluates multiple interpretations before choosing one in particular. The Lenski Commentary, therefore, will introduce you to a range of interpretations and viewpoints, allowing you to see how other interpretations relate to one another, and will provide the context as to why he has settled on a particular viewpoint.
A great work of exegesis, every page the result of long meditation, based on rich scholarship, warm with holy reverence for the Word of God.
—Moody Monthly
Lenski is one of the most helpful commentators on the New Testament you'll find — especially for his knowledge of the original Greek text. No serious exegete should neglect his insights.
—The Discerning Reader
The treatment is exhaustive; it seems that nothing has been overlooked or omitted.
—The Lutheran
My favorite New Testament commentary is that of R.C.H. Lenski. I smile whenever this scholar stabbed the “chiliasts” or those who reject infant baptism; yet I profit greatly from his sane and spiritually sensitive exposition. You do not have to be a Greek scholar to benefit from Lenski.
—Warren W. Wiersbe, A Basic Library for Bible Students
A conservative, very extensive and generally helpful exposition based upon an exegesis of the Greek text. Armenian in doctrine, maintains a rigid approach to Greek grammar, and follows an amillennial interpretation of eschatology. Exceedingly helpful background material and abounds in good preaching values.
—Cyril Barber, The Minister's Library
R. C. H. Lenski a distinguished Lutheran scholar and commentator, studied for the ministry at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. Upon earning his Doctor of Divinity, he became Dean of the seminary. He was a former professor at Capital Seminary (now Trinity Lutheran Seminary) in Columbus, Ohio, where he taught in the fields of exegesis, dogmatics, and homiletics. His numerous books and commentaries are written from a conservative perspective.
“The Christian’s inward transformation is effected when his moral mentality becomes renewed, (the very mentality itself, so that it no longer thinks, understands, and judges as it once did but so that it cannot do so because it is in a process of renewal that advances steadily. The Christian minds the things of the spirit, a thing he never did before, and ceases minding the things of the flesh, a thing he always did before (8:5, 6); as a son of God he is led by the Spirit of God in his very mind (8:14). His use of the body shows it.” (Page 751)
“‘so that you keep testing out (durative) what the will of God is,’ as men test out coins or metal by accepting the genuine and rejecting and throwing out the spurious. The renewed mind is ever bent on finding out and following God’s will, what God wants of us; it has utterly ceased its old disregard of God’s will, its old folly of contenting itself with its own will.” (Pages 751–752)
“Paul does not say that ‘the rulers’ are God’s ministers, for they may abuse the authority, may wreck the state. He calls the authority ‘God’s minister,’ for he refers to its exercise which accords with God’s own arrangement (διαταγή, institution, v. 2).” (Page 791)
“Luther’s famous introduction to Romans, the first sentences of which read: ‘This epistle is the real chief part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel, which, indeed, deserves that a Christian not only know it word for word by heart but deal with it daily as with daily bread of the soul. For it can never be read or considered too much or too well, and the more it is handled, the more delightful it becomes, and the better it tastes.’” (Page 8)